The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-29
Order and Whiskey.

Politically speaking. Palatka is now
divided into three camps. In one we
have the prohibition element which is
steadily growing. Opposite to this is the
party of disorder and misr,IIe. which is
doomed to inevitable overthrow first or
last Between these extremists stands
the law and order party which is tenn
perate, believes in regulation. not proI,i-
6ition. but must insist ON good govern
ment as essential to the conservation of
all its interests and of vital importance
to the growth and prosperity of the city,
The PALATKA News holds that Il man
has right to sell whiskey as he has
a right to sell fiour-sublect only to the
regulation of the laws in such ease made
and provided. But for the good of all
we must have orier-the very existence
of our city depends on the proper en-
forcement of law and the rigid preserva-
ton of decency. Our city is too small
for the gambler and the burglar and the.
thief-we want only honest workmen in
our midst, and, ii he obeys the law the
capitalist, the mechanic. the tradesman.
the banker, the ditcher and the man
who lives by the labor of his brain or
the product of am inventive mind. are all
equally welcome among us.
Let the liquor interest be careful how
it makes common cause with those who
speculate in ballots, encourage disorder
for selfish purposes. uphold the
gambling rooms to rob the unwary and
fleece the unsuspecting. \ man may
sell whiskey and be respectable and hon
ored among us; he, most of all men, i
interested i'll the preservation of order
if he will rightly understand his bust
ness. Not even the bayonets of nationa
troops can uphold for long in this coun
try those who treat with contempt the
force of public opinion or seek the gain
of the few at the expense or the goot
name of the MANY The law allows tn,
sale of whiskey as it does that of cloth
ing, but the statutes regulating It's sal
must be obeged
The liquor interest will dig its owl
grave if 1t seeks alliance with the vicious
and disorderly. In this way alone can
the triumph of prohibition tie secured
in this way alone can the influence @
the temperate voter he thrown into tn
camp of the extremists who advocat
prohibition.
The American citizen touches tin
tastes of private life which do not inter
fere with public order or morals onl
when forced to do 81. We are apt t
believe that a man may eat or drin
what pleases him a he may consult hi
own taste in the cut of his garments, :
long as his preferences do not interior
with the rights of his neighbors. But IL
the whiskey interest desert the stronghold
in which it is intrenched by law and put
lie opinion, let il call To its aid the sur
port of the vile and ignorant and law
less, and it ensures its own inevitabl
destruction. Ii invites opposition
compels us to destroy it for our ow
safety. OF all interests III our mids
that of the saloons is most vitality COZ
cerned i'll upholeling the law and ord,
which alone can insure safety frol
aroused and awakened public opinion
Self preservation is the first law of ot
existence
VIII the saloons gain or lose in Palats
by forcing upon us government a,
ministered by those who have alread
demonstrated their unwillingness
suppress disorder. detect crime or II
force the law?